Madden NFL 13 Social Review

With a wide array of turn-based iOS titles likely taking up your time, it can be difficult to find a chunk of time large enough to sit down and play through an entire game of Madden on your iPhone or iPad. That’s where Madden NFL 13 Social hits its stride.

Taking the simplistic style of other asynchronous turn-based titles, Madden NFL 13 Social tasks players with completing a game in alternating bursts. Each turn consists of one offensive drive, however long that may be, and you don’t ever play defense, as that wouldn’t really work for the style of play here. You can have multiple games going at once though, so getting a few games going should give you a steady stream of back-and-forth.

Unfortunately, it’s hampered by a few social game tropes like locked plays, energy levels that limit the amount of games you can play, and coins required to use each play. You can invest enough into the game through in-app purchases instead, but I found that I didn’t really need to, as you can eventually unlock them through normal gameplay.

For as much of a full-Madden experience as this isn’t, the gameplay is still really fluid. You have direct control over the player, but I found passing to be a bit difficult to get right. You touch the number above the receivers head to throw to them, but the ball often seemed to fly somewhere else at first, due to a timing mechanic that requires something of a learning curve. Running plays were a more reliable option until it started to click.

The bottom line. Madden NFL 13 Social might not be the best football game on iOS, but it is the most practical. Playing turns when you have a chance makes everything move at a much more fluid pace, and it's one that a game like this really needs.